Pierre de Coubertin… Keanu Reeves… Joseph Roth… Henri Rousseau… J.R.R Tolkien… Biographies Multiposts

Encyclopedia of Biographies of famous and historical figures

Biographies online:

1. Vanna Marchi biography
2. Biography of Marc Augé
3. Biography of Pierre de Coubertin
4. Keanu Reeves biography
5. Biography of Joseph Roth
6. Biography of Henri Rousseau
7. J.R.R Tolkien biography
8. Biography of Giovanni Verga

Vanna Marchi biography

Once upon a time there was a Queen
September 2, 1942

Who is Vanna Marchi?

Vanna Marchi was born in Castelguelfo, near Bologna, on 2 September 19Roaring Italian television personality, famous for launching nationally the modus and so-called promotional business televendita, through a unique and always shouted parodied, it ended in the last years of his career at Center of judicial scandals that would have involved personally, together with his daughter, Stefania Nobile as both promoters and sometimes owners of products deemed fraudulent. After a series of processes, Vanna Marchi has been definitively sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for bankruptcy fraud, fraud and criminal association aimed at cheating.
After school, the little Vanna faces early death of his parents. As a teenager, must work and finds a job as a beautician in the town of Ozzano dell'Emilia. However, one of the major passions of young Atmaja is the sludge, which tries to find beneficial effects for the body, to be offered to any third parties.
The love for the cosmetic industry is strong and after working as a beautician, the enterprising emiliana started his own, little more than twenty, renting a garage and turning it into a cosmetics shop. Soon, however, his eloquence, he realizes the potential of television and advertising in some private channels, presenting its products herself. Early works to their promotions "homemade" his children, the young Maurice and Catherine, like real valletti.
Tv debut is dated 1977 and Trademarks appeared in Bologna Teleregione The role is to haunt, in a format called "Grand Bazaar", alongside Raffaele Pisu and Marisa Del Frate. Become, in a short time, a real "character" with his verve romagnola and the ability to place its products on the market.
The famous "agree?!": the scream which Marks their television deals end, placing products of dubious quality at prices apparently convenient.
After Bologna television switches to Triveneta of Padua, then to Teleradiomilano2 of Cinisello Balsamo, moving into its second Earth, Lombardy. Are the early 80 's and Vanna Marchi begins to make a name for themselves at the national level, thanks to its unique style, which soon will be worth the title of "Queen of teleshopping".
During this time, and for many years to come, one of the most sold and promoted by her, is the so called "scioglipancia": a pseudo miraculous cream with slimming properties. At the beginning of the 80 's, the price is around 100,000 lire for three packs.
After some steps on dozens of other smaller issuers, such as TeleradioLombardia, the pass Marks for the fledgling Tg4 of Mondadori, exactly between 1982 and 1983.
However, the definitive consecration comes to NetA, when the Adriatic imbonitrice gives rise to a program called "Vanna Marchi Show", broadcast from 23.00 to 1.00, every Monday night. More than a promo, it is a charade, in which the presenter talking and give advice to pretend viewers, during phone calls with actors fake struggling with various problems.
The phenomenon goes national and even journalists like Enzo Biagi and Maurizio Costanzo is of interest to you and your program, inviting her to some specific interviews.
In 1986, in collaboration with journalist Adriana Treves, publishes the autobiography "My Lords", do not forget to place in its tv auctions.
In a short time becomes the Queen of teleshopping and, on the strength of its motto, that screamed that the interlayer became known throughout Italy, in 1989 he recorded a 45 rpm, entitled, precisely, "okay?": the song even goes so far to "Show", Versione Italiana on the strength of its typically 80 's sound, and most blatant example of trash at the time. To support the on this venture in the music world, there's "The Pommodores", a parody of the best-known "The Commodores".
The following year, on the strength of this popularity, the Trademarks is called to recite the famous penned "I Promessi Sposi", parody in the form of a fiction novel by Alessandro Manzoni, created by comedy trio Lopez, Marchesini, Solenghi. Of course the role that has the format is that of promoting products, rather than just sell creams against your belly, trying to place anti SALVES-plague.
However, that same year, 1990, also due to financial difficulties of his latest failure, i.e. the creature "flags" scent, cause the failure of one of his companies. After some time is arrested for complicity in bankruptcy. Also fails as individual entrepreneur.
The Trademarks must then do it all again and resumes with teleshopping, how employee of Marquis de Carré Goat. By this time, in addition to cosmetics, takes hold among its promotional activities even the esoteric. In 1996 the company constitutes "Ascié Srl", in Milan. With her, there's his daughter Stefania Nobile and Mario Pacheco Do Nascimento.
In November 2001 the transmission of Canale5 "Striscia la Notizia" carries out a series of investigations on the world of television, scams within the scope of the magic and fattucchieria: among the major names involved there is Vanna Marchi, in addition to his daughter, Stefania Nobile and self-styled magician Mario Pacheco Do Nascimento. On this occasion, the trio aims to sell lucky numbers for lotto games, in addition to talismans, amulets and kit against evil influences.
The company Asciè Srl in practice with deception, contact the people involved and try to extort money. The Trademarks is arrested then, together with his daughter, while the magician Do Nascimento flees to Brazil.
In 2005, after the judicial process, resumes work with a daily strip on Tv7 Lombardia. However, postponed judgment with her daughter and other collaborators on charges of criminal association aimed at cheating and extortion, on 3 April 2006 are sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment in the process-bis for fraud. The compensation must at some casualties amounted to almost 40,000 euros.
On 9 May of the same year Vanna Marchi, her boyfriend Francesco Campana and her daughter, Stefania Nobile are still sentenced in first instance by the Court of Milan, respectively, 10 4 and 10 years in prison, in addition to compensation of over 2 million, made possible by a series of seizures of various properties.
After a few months to run a Spa near Carpi, on 27 March 2008 the appellate ruling reduces the sum of two men sentenced to 9 years and inflicted 6 months for Trademarks, 9 years 4 months and 9 days for his daughter Stefania and 3 years 1 month and 20 days to Francesco Campana.
On 4 March 2009 the Supreme Court confirms the sentence. In April 2010, the conviction for fraudulent bankruptcy. The 8 October 2011 Vanna Marchi gets the regime of semi-liberty, the use in the bar-restaurant owned by daughter's boyfriend; a few weeks later the penalty is reduced to 9 years and 6 months.

Biography of Marc Augé

The meaning of non-places
September 2, 1935

Who is Marc Auge?

Marc Augé was born in Poitiers (France) on September 2, 19Ethnologist and anthropologist, States along his academic career and study as one of the best-known scholars of social sciences and anthropology.
In particular is known to the public Trough for coining the concept of "non-places" (non-lieux), with whom the scholar defines certain spaces in contrast with the classical notion of anthropological sites.
The "non-places" are, in fact, those transit places often lived in daily life without giving them meaning and poignancy of "real places". Examples are, the subway, the supermarket, a hotel room. They have the characteristic not to assign identity to passing through individuality, relational databases (millions of people cross each day in Metro tunnels without entering into a relationship) and historic character.
The introduction of the concept of "non-place" takes place in a mature phase of study of French Ethnologist, when it publishes in his 1992 book "non-places. Introduction to an anthropology of supermodernity "which deals with the analysis of current through the paradigm of supermodernity: i.e. an aggravation phase of modern features where companies are unable to integrate the differences, but the borders and enclose within spaces without contamination (such as shelves in a big supermarket) and where, at the same time, continuous shifts from technology Favorites increases the differences.
The places, not within this perspective, are essentially the most important daily: precarious places supermodernity, passing through and lived by infuriating individuality outside, but leave streams as global communication circuits, which cross without meet.
They are, in other words, the symbolic expression of contemporary citizen experienced from paradox who lives a solitaudine increasingly intense in places consecrated to thousands of people.
If reflections on supermodernity represent a period of relatively recent Augé (continue with trying to return the term globalisation as well as experienced by people), his first works mainly concern the research conducted during his travels to different parts of the world. Especially along all the years ' 70, Augé focuses in the study of the population of Côte d'Ivoire Alladian.
Later in the 80 's, Marc Augé returns to Europe to apply ethnographic gaze and the narration of the novel study of company: famous during this period his short book, "a subway", where laying the foundations of the concept of non-place (the underground lived as transit place that doesn't belong to us), analyzes the characteristics of Parisian society. In particular, this is where it starts to point out the paradoxical loneliness experienced by people ever more intensely in an age of communication technologies become more powerful and able to connect to each other in time and space.
It is from these studies, and by comparison with research done years before in Africa and other areas of the world, which will then be the basis for subsequent reflections on non-places and supermodernity.
Marc Augé is also Director of the school of advanced studies in social sciences (EHESS) in Paris.
Among his most important works:
Le Rivage alladian (1969);
Powers of life, powers of death (1977);
Genius of paganism (1982);
The Jardin du Luxembourg (1985);
UN ethnologue dans le métro (1986);
Non-Lieux (1992);
The other sense-anthropology News (1994);
Pour une anthropologie des mondes contemporains (1994);
Century fictions-what happens (2000);
Ruins and rubble. The sense of time (2003);
Why do we live? (2003);
The anthropology of the contemporary world (2005);
Arthur's mother (2005);
The craft of the anthropologist (2006);
Between the boundaries: cities, places, integrations (2007);
Casablanca (2008);
The beauty of the bike (2009);
Metro revisited (2009);
What happened to the future? : by non-places to nontempo (2009);
For an anthropology of mobility (2010);

Biography of Pierre de Coubertin

Peace and brotherhood of peoples through sport
January 1, 1863
September 2, 1937

Who was Pierre de Coubertin?

Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin, better known as Pierre de Coubertin aristocratically, was born in Paris, on 1 January 18French historian and educationalist, went down in history for having revived, in the so-called modern Olympic Games, in fact, fondandoli in all, at least in the version in which they are customarily known.
Since its first activities in education has always been among the biggest supporters of proper sport for inclusion within any educational program. His name is connected with the famous phrase "the important thing is not winning but taking part", in fact enunciated by de Coubertin, actually belonging to the Bishop Ethelbert Talbot, he specifically cited (the same Bishop seems to have taken the phrase, riadattandola, a Greek philosopher, who said: "the important thing is not to win but to participate with winning spirit").
He was born and grew up in the French nobility, the fourth and last child of the family. Until 1880, the year of his graduation, he spent a happy childhood and adolescence, both in his Paris House, both in family-owned Castle located at Mirville, in Normandy. Here, in the quiet of the countryside, the young Pierre became passionate about the outdoors, sport, he loves since very small, and even in the arts, such as painting and music. Is a good student and graduated by the Jesuits.
In addition, sounds very good on piano and musical talent that will grow into adulthood, although work commitments. At the end of the school year, in 1880 chooses political studies, instead of a military career. He studied law in the French capital but, from 1883 until 1890, dedicates mainly to activities related to social problems in France, reflecting on real reform of education in a modern pedagogical.
The breakthrough is the date 23 June 1894, when at the Sorbonne in Paris, announced for the first time the idea of recovering the ancient Olympic Games. Is a real Conference that organized by de Coubertin, which is the mouthpiece of the establishment of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which takes the General Secretariat. As President, to tie from the point of view of the nascent symbolic games to those who were of the ancient Hellenic period, he was appointed Greek Demetrius Vikelas. Moreover, one of the decisions taken during the Congress is the first modern Olympiad was to be held in Greece, in Athens.
The first Olympic Games held in 18Meanwhile Pier de Coubertin, in 1895, he married Marie Rotham, which gives him a son exactly one year later.
In 1897, now busy in several trips both in the u.s. and in England, the French Baron holds the first real Olympic Congress, in Le Havre, which he chaired. The first year's games were a great success and the idea not only of French, is to replicate them every four years.
However, in 1900 in Paris, the Olympic event is placed in the background, absorbed the international fair. The same thing happened four years later in St Louis. To console de Coubertin, is the birth of his second daughter, Renee, in 1902.
A turning point came with the 1906 summer Olympics, which arouse great interest. From now and until 1912, the French nobleman fights worldwide for disseminating ideas, modern sports such as athletic associations for workers. It also adds to the games, very important details from the symbolic point of view, such as the famous 5 hoops and the Olympic oath before the start of real sports.
In Stockholm in 1912, on the occasion of the Olympics, De Coubertin launched the discipline of the modern pentathlon, which he actually invented. In 1915 he moved to Lausanne Olympic Committee and maintains the Presidency until the 1924 games in Paris, which reveal an unprecedented success, nothing to do with previous dated 1900.
To happen to his presidency is the Belgian Henri de Baillet-Latour. However the French remains the Honorary President of the IOC and, especially, the Universal Pedagogical Union founded.
From 1926 to 1927 is another realization of his multifaceted life interest: the French Baron publishes his work of universal history, concentrated in four volumes.
He retired to private life in Switzerland, devotes all its latest economic energy, to spread their ideas and teaching sports.
During a walk, Pierre de Coubertin is caught by a heart attack and died in Geneva, on 2 September 19Buried in Lausanne, his heart is interred apart, in a monument near the ruins of ancient Olympia in Greece.

Keanu Reeves biography

The elected
September 2, 1964

Who is Keanu Reeves?

How does it feel to be considered one of the sexiest men on the planet? Ask Keanu Charles Reeves, because he knows it and we also used, being regularly cited by the magazine "Empire" and "People" in the annual rankings of the most desired by the public.
Born on September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon, his unique genetic makeup is the fruit of the marriage between the father half Hawaiian and half Chinese, with English mother. And his name is beautiful is poetic, since Keanu in Hawaiian means "mountain breeze".
He moved with his family to Australia, following the separation of their parents let Keanu Reeves the new residence with his mother and goes to seek his fortune in America, in New York. Tired of the chaos, the two will later move to Toronto, Canada, where he obtained citizenship.
In Toronto he attended Jesse Ketchum Public School, then High School at De La Salle College and finally the Toronto School for actors, driven by the new mother's boyfriend and his godfather, Director Paul Aaron. Begins to make itself known through some small parts in television and film, but the big break comes with the movie "shoulders" (1986) with Rob Lowe, Cynthia Gibb and Patrick Swayze. Then join the twillight "River's edge", with Dennis Hopper. His first important film is the intriguing "dangerous liaisons" (1988, with Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer) directed by Stephen Frears.
In 1989 it was the turn of "relatives, friends and so much trouble" by Ron Howard with Steve Martin; in 1990 "Aunt Julia and the telenovela" by Jon Amiel and "Ti amerò ... until killed" by Lawrence Kasdan. A certain notoriety Keanu Reeves applies to a series of films that not only the protagonist but also allow you to highlight its exotic charm: the titles already entered history as "Point break," point break (1991) by Kathryn Bigelow, and "beautiful and damned" (1991), alongside the unlucky friend River Phoenix, made him attractive to the screen but also good ... well just damn given the healthy regimen always respected by the actor.
It is then the turn of "Dracula (Bram Stoker)" (1992) directed by Francis Ford Coppola and the film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play "much ado about nothing" (1993), by Kenneth Branagh. In 1993 as well as "Cowgirl. The new sex "(by Gus Van Sant, with Uma Thurman), Bernardo Bertolucci chose him for the film" little Buddha "in which Keanu is an extraordinary Siddhartha.
In his career there as a pure action movie "Speed" (1994) and "chain reaction" (1996), or science fiction as "Johnny Mnemonic" (1995), without forgetting the trilogy "The Matrix" (1999-2003) of the Wachowski brothers, now real cult. Do not disdain even independent films like "the last time I committed suicide (1997) or" Il profumo del mosto selvatico "(1994, with Anthony Quinn). Very good also the legal horror thriller "the Devil's advocate" (1997) by Taylor Hackford, starring Charlize Theron and a huge Al Pacino.
For Keanu Reeves there are also comedies "sportive" as "Hardball" and "reserves", the latter alongside Gene Hackman. Among his most recent movies include thriller "The gift" (2000) directed by Sam Raimi and "The Watcher" (2000) by Joe Charbanic, while in 2001 it was the turn of romantic "Sweet November" alongside the beautiful Charlize Theron. In 2004 it is with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in "anything can happen". The great passions of Keanu are motorbikes, who likes to drive at high speed, and the music: plays bass in rock band Dogstar.
Very jealous of his private life, little is known about him but unfortunately it is certain that the shadow of the tragedy appeared even in the life of the beautiful Canadian actor: in December 1999 the girlfriend Jennifer Syme has first lost the child she was expecting from him and then died in a terrible car accident. His sister is sick with leukemia dramatically.

Biography of Joseph Roth

Witness the end
September 2, 1894
May 27, 1939

Who is Joseph Roth?

Joseph Roth was born on 2 September 1894 in Schwabendorf near Brody, in the far border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (in the area corresponding to today's eastern Poland), the son of Jewish parents. His mother, Mary, descended from a family of merchants of fabrics; the father, Nachum, trading cereals. During a business trip to Hamburg, Nachum is admitted to a nursing home for the mentally ill, and in a few months become totally incapable of discernment. His fate will be silent to his son Joseph, which will be led to believe that the father is hanged.
During a childhood not too dismal, however, Joseph learned to play the violin and attended the gymnasium, after studying in business school founded by Baron Maurice de Hirsch Jewish magnate. The relationship with her mother is not particularly happy, also because of the life that she decides to conduct focused almost exclusively on the child's upbringing. After high school, Joseph Roth moved, and during his years at University, in Vienna, he wrote his first poems. He moved at a maternal uncle in Lviv, become a friend of Paula and cousins. After studying with the German literature, must deal, just over twenty years, with the first pacifist war, enlisted after changing idea, 21 volunteer infantry battalion and is part of the military cordon deployed along the route of the funeral procession of Emperor Franz Joseph.
Quit the study at the end of World War I, back at Brody but, because of clashes between the Ukrainian soldiers, Czechoslovakia and Poland, he decided to move back to Vienna. In 1919 he became editor of "Der Neue Tag newspaper which also Alfred Polgar. Publications, however, are broken the next year, and so Joseph Roth moved to Berlin, where he must deal with issues related to the permit. Unable to write, however, for the "Neuen Berliner Zeitung and Berliner Boersen-Courier". Since 1923 he worked for the "Frankfurter Zeitung" newspaper, Prague and Vienna.
"The spider", his first novel, was released on the "Arbeiter-Zeitung", although it remains unfinished. In May 1925 the writer moves to Paris. He was later to visit the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Poland. Gives the prints short novel "Hotel Savoy," and the novels "the rebellion" (1924), "escape" (1927), "Zipper and his father" (1928), "left" or "right" and "the prophet" (in 1929). Around 1925 political orientation changes, going from a Socialist vision to support the royalists (where, in the early writings, had revealed a strong aversion to the Crown): idealizes the Habsburg monarchy, while not ignoring the errors. In this period, however, faces the first symptoms of mental illness that struck his wife Reichler, Frieferike married in 1922 in Vienna. The woman, in addition to showing signs of pathological jealousy, behaves in such a way as to require hospitalization in a nursing home. Roth is in crisis for each other, coming to the situation and blame themselves unable to accept the disease then begins to drink alcohol in ridiculous amounts, with negative consequences for his health and for his economic situation.
In the first half of the 1930s, see the light novels "job. A novel simple man "," Radetzky March "," Kalyan, a guest on Earth "," the Antichrist "and" The bust of the Emperor ". With increasingly insistent advance of national socialism, meanwhile, Joseph Roth locates in the Catholic Church and the monarchy only forces able to resist Nazi tyranny. Supports, therefore, the political activity of monarchists, seeking contacts with legitimists circles in favour of the pretender Otto von Habsburg. The conditions of Friederike, meanwhile, do not improve, and in 1935 Roth asks divorce (later the woman is victim of euthanasia program applied by the Nazis in 1940). Joseph has the opportunity to see other women, including Andrea Manga Bell, editor of Cuban. The ultimate writer's jealousy leads to rupture the relationship, but he is consoled with Irmgard Keun, writer met in Holland, with whom he went to live in Paris in the late 1930s.
In these years he published "confessions of an assassin, told in one night", "fake" weight, "the Capuchin crypt", "milleduesima night" and "the legend of the Holy drinker". The economic situation of Roth, however, is very bad, to the point that on 23 May 1939 is transferred to a hospice for the poor, where he died a few days later, on May 27, because of a pneumonia that causes a crisis of delirium tremens. His body was buried in the South of Paris, in the cemetery of Thiais. Dies, so, the singer of "finis Austriae", i.e. one who described the disappearance of the austro-Hungarian Empire, who had tried to combine languages, traditions, cultures and religions different from each other.

Biography of Henri Rousseau

Undercover customs
May 21, 1844
September 2, 1910

Who is Henri Rousseau?

Henri Julien Félix Rousseau, told the customs officer was born in Laval on May 21, 18Training, self-taught painter owes much of its inspiration to some of his personal experiences. During his military service, in fact, met some soldiers returning from the French campaign in Mexico in support of Emperor Maximilian.
Were most likely their descriptions of that country to inspire his vivid depictions and lush jungle, his favorite theme. During his lifetime, his work was variously criticized and denigrated, with inevitable and scathing critical waste tips.
Many valued him as a naive painter, devoid of any artistic value. Among the "epithets" which was directed by his contemporaries are adjectives like clueless, uncultivated, naive, Candide and via listing.
As a result, a greater critical and settling a more polished production allowed him to make his value as an artist. What seemed his weakness (i.e. be naive), has instead turned out to be the base of its authentic originality. Today Henri Rousseau is considered the most personal and most authentic of naif of modern painting.
After his death, also his "primitive" style, characterized by vivid colors, from a drawing by deliberately flat and imaginative, were imitated by modern European painters. Precisely because careless, "uncultured" and unregulated, Henri Rousseau will be seen as an artist capable of overcoming with their candor tradition, freely manifesting his inner life beyond the academic rules. The curious thing is that besides painting he practically during the age of his retirement after working nearly a lifetime boxes offices in Paris. Here is the reason for its nickname: the "customs officer".
From 1886, he exhibited his works at the Salon des Indépendants ", gaining the admiration of contemporaries such as Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat.
After an initial period devoted to portraits and views of Paris, in the 1990s went to fantastic original paintings, characterised by a tropical landscape with human figures that play or rest and properties, and vigilant animals as mesmerized by something mysterious. In the famous painting "the dream", for example (dated 1910), he represents a naked figure lying on a couch in a jungle with vivid colours, with lush plants, creepy lions and other animals; in "sleeping Gypsy", instead, a woman rests quietly in the desert while a lion with their tails in the air looks intrigued. These works, along with many others, are preserved at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
In terms of personal life, Rousseau was a very socially engaged man. He recalls participating in revolutionary ferment of his era.
Henri Rousseau died in Paris on September 2, 1910.
Study of certain works by Henri Rousseau
The dream (1810)
Self-portrait as a painter (1890)
Surprise-tiger in a tropical storm (1891)
The war (1894)
The sleeping Gypsy (1897)
The snake charmer (1907)
The Wheelbarrows du Père Junier (1908)

J.R.R Tolkien biography

Creator of worlds
January 3, 1892
September 2, 1973

Who is Tolkien J.R.R?

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to English parents. After his father's death, aged only three years back with her mother and brother in England where the family system at Sarehole, a suburb of Birmingham. In 1904 his mother dies from which the young Tolkien had meanwhile inherited the love for languages, ancient legends and fairy tales.
Together with his brother is entrusted to a Catholic priest, Oratorians Father Francis Xavier Morgan. After attending King Edward VI School begins his studies at Exeter College, Oxford where he obtained in 1915 the title of Bachelor of Arts.
During the first world war enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers and fought on the Western front. After the war he continued his studies at Exeter College in 1919, earning the title of Master of Arts. Then begins the task of teacher in Leeds and collaboration to the editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. In 1925 he was appointed Professor of Anglo-saxon Philology at Pembroke College, Oxford, and in 1945 he was appointed Professor of English language and medieval literature of Merton College, where he taught until his retirement from teaching in 19Tolkien is not wrong to then considered the greatest expert in Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature of the twentieth century.
It is during the teaching period that the author began writing. In 1937 he published "the hobbit", fantastic tale set in a fairy-tale and bygone English, having as protagonists small beings lunacy but very similar to men, hobbits precisely. They are joined by a whole plethora of other fantastic beings such as dwarves have great importance.
Although his first film, "the Hobbit" is a milestone in Tolkien's writing career is around the original nucleus of this work that the author will be developing over the next decade his imaginary Kingdom that will make him famous and known throughout the world, that of land-to-Middle, that takes shape in his later works such as "the adventures of Tom Bombadil" (1962) and especially in the great epic that is the trilogy of "the Lord of the rings" (someone wanted to read as a complex and rich allegory of the human condition), unanimously recognized as his most important work.
Written in a very refined language that mimics the cleanness of the English medieval trilogy consisted initially of three separate volumes: "the Fellowship of the ring" (1954), "the two towers" (1955) and "the return of the King" (1955), which are then gathered in 1956 in one book.
Dedicated to Tolkien writing his masterpiece all its scholarly research. Particularly interested in the Midlands dialect and archaic English, beowulf and Scandinavian Literatures (Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic). For his research he founded with friends and colleagues, a group-i Coal-Biters (Coal eaters)-and receives numerous honorary titles including the British high command, C.B.E, and five doctoral programs.
In the following years Tolkien works in another work, "the Silmarillion" in truth already in 1917, which will continue until death, and yet fail to conclude. Will be completed by his son Christopher and published posthumously in 1977.
Tolkien died on September 2, 1973 at Bournemouth, England, at the age of eighty-one years.
In 2001, after seven years of preparation and eighteen months of shooting, the first chapter of the film "the Lord of the rings", immense effort of Director Peter Jackson. The material for the three movies was shot around before the first chapter; Although it has been paid great attention to detail and fidelity of cinematographic reproductions, as always happens in cases of transpositions from the book to the big screen, fans and Tolkien fans (many worldwide) were divided between praise, criticism and controversy.

Biography of Giovanni Verga

La vita agra
September 2, 1840
January 27, 1922

Who is Giovanni Verga?

The great Sicilian writer was born on September 2, 1840 in Catania (according to some at Vizzini, where the family had properties), by Giovanni Battista Catalano Verga, a descendant of the cadet branch of a noble family, and Caterina di Mauro, belonging to the bourgeoisie. The Catalan Rod were a typical family of "gentlemen" or nobles of the province with limited financial resources, but forced to appear well given the social position. In short, the perfect portrait of a typical family from Verga's novels.
Don't miss the framework with rich relatives: aunts, avarissime spinsters "mummies" and uncle savior who, by virtue of the Majorat, had inherited all the assets, as long as they remain celibate, to administer it in favour of the brothers. The dispute probably composed in the 1940s and family relations were good as revealed by the writer's letters and the conclusion of a family wedding between Mario, John's brother said Maro, and Maria, the illegitimate daughter of don Salvatore and a peasant woman of Tèbidi.
Completed primary and medium studies under the guidance of Bob Greco and Wilfred Park, Rod follows don lessons Antoninus, poet, novelist and patriot, head of a thriving studio in Catania. At her school, in addition to the poems of the same master, reads the classics: Dante, Petrarch, Ariosto, Tasso, Monti, Manzoni and works of Domenico Castorina, poet and storyteller, whose Abbot was an enthusiastic commentator.
In 1845, due to a cholera epidemic, the family moved to Vizzini Rod then in his lands of Tèbidi, between Vizzini and Licodia. Here ends to write his first novel, started in 1856 just fifteen years, "Patria", which is not currently published for canonical Council Mario Torrisi, whose Rod was a student. Father's wish he enrolled in the Faculty of law of the University of Catania, without showing much interest, however, for legal studies, which abandoned in 1861 to dedicate himself, encouraged by her mother, to literary activity.
In 1860 he enlisted in the National Guard established after the arrival of Garibaldi in Catania, serving for approximately four years. Fonda, directing it for only three months, together with Nicolò Nikephoros and Antonino Abate, the political weekly "Roma degli Italiani", with a program and regional unit. In 1861 he began publishing, at his own expense at the Publisher, Galatola's novel "the carbonari of the mountain", which he had worked since 1859; in 1862 will be released on the fourth and final volume of the book that the author will send, among others, Alexandre Dumas. He collaborated to the magazine "contemporary Italy", probably a pubblicandovi or better the first chapter of a realist narrative. The following year the writer is hit by a grieving family: father loses his beloved. In may he went, for the first time, remaining there until at least June, 1864 in Florence, from Italy's capital and center of political and intellectual life. This is the period of comedy, unpublished, "truffles" (at the top of the second draft date reads December 14, 1886), which was sent, anonymously, to the Dramatic Competition.
In 1867 a new cholera epidemic forced him to take refuge with family in Sant'Agata li Battiati. But the April 26, 1869 part from Catania to Florence, where it will stay
until September. Is introduced in the Florentine literary circles and takes to attend Ludmilla Assing lounges and Lord Swanzberg, meeting with writers and intellectuals of the time as the grass lands, Maffei Aleardi, Fusinato and Ibrahim (the latter author of masterpieces to date still unknown). In this same period, begins a friendship with Luigi Capuana, writer and intellectual. He also knows Giselda, with whom Fdfs makes the return trip in Sicily. He began to write "Storia di una capinera" (which will be released in serial form in the newspaper "the embroiderer"), and the short-lived drama "Rose". Corresponds regularly with their families, minutely informing them of his life (from a letter of ' 69: "Florence is really the center of intellectual and political life of Italy here in another atmosphere [...] and to become something you have to [...] live in the midst of this incessant movement, introduce themselves, and know, breathe the air, you know ").
In November 1872 he moved to Milan, where he remained, with frequent returns in Sicily for nearly two decades. Thanks to the presentation of Salvatore Farina and Tullo Massarani, attends the most famous literary and social gatherings: inter alia the salons Countess Maffei, top and victory by Teresa Mannati-Van. Meets with Arrigo Boito, Emilio Praga, Luigi Gualdo, friendships hence a close and profitable contact with themes and problems of the Scapigliatura. In addition, he was able to attend the Publisher Treves family and the Cameroni. With the latter interweaves a correspondence of great interest for theoretical positions on realism and naturalism and reviews on contemporary fiction (Zola, Flaubert, Vallés, D'annunzio).
The 1874, to return to Milan in January, has a crisis of despair: the 20 of this month, in fact, Treves had declined "Royal Tiger", which causes him to nearly decide the definitive return to Sicily. However, the crisis quickly exceeds jumping in worldly life milanese (again a valuable document are letters to family members, where you can read a very tiny log, as well as its relationship with the editorial environment, parties, dances and theatres), writing so in just three days "Nedda". The novella, published on June 15 in the "Rivista italiana di scienze,
lettere e arti ", has a hit as big as unexpected for the author who continues to talk as" an absolute misery "and does not express any interest, if not cheap, the kind of tale.
"Nedda" immediately reprinted from Brigola, as retrieved from the magazine. Verga, spurred by the success of the sketch and urged by Treves, writes in the autumn, between Catania and Vizzini, some of the novels of "Spring" and begins to create the sketch "seafaring Padron Ntoni" (which will be included in "reluctantly"), of which, in December, send the second part to the Publisher. Meanwhile in volume collects the novellas written until then, publishing at the Brigola titled "spring and other stories".
The novel proceeds slowly, because of another hard emotional backlash, loss of Sister Rose.
On December 5 the mother dies, which was linked by deep affection. This event throws him into a serious crisis. Then leaves Catania to go back to Florence and then in Milan, where hard work resumes.
In 1880 he published at Treves "life" that collects the stories appeared in the magazine over the years 1878-Continues to work to "reluctantly" and in the spring it sends the first chapters to Treves, after cutting the forty pages of an earlier manuscript. Meet, after almost ten years, Giselda Fdfs, with whom he has a relationship that will last about three years. "Across the sea", novella "epilogue" Rusticane overshadows probably the sentimental relationship with Benn, describing the evolution in a certain way and the inevitable end.
The following year, finally come out for types of Treves, always "I Malavoglia", indeed rather coldly welcomed by critics. He began correspondence with Edouard Rod, a young Swiss writer who resides in Paris and in 1887 to give the French translation of "reluctantly". Meanwhile, tighten friendship with Dana. Begins to devise "Mastro-don Gesualdo" and publishes the magazine "Malaria" and "Reverend" who earlier this year had proposed to Treves for the reissue of "life" in place of "The how, when and why". The project was also created to reduce the scene "Cavalleria rusticana"; for this purpose, intensifies relations with Gambia, to be the "Godfather" of his theatrical debut. In terms of privacy continues his relationship with Emily which is expulsion of Ra for the discovery of a compromising letter. Begins the long and loving friendship (will last beyond the end of the century: the last letter is dated May 11, 1905) with Countess Paolina Greppi.
The 1884 is the year of theatrical debut with "Cavalleria rusticana". The drama, read and rejected during an evening in Milan by a group of friends (Boito, Emilio Treves, Gualdo), but approved by Torelli-Viollier (the founder of the "Corriere della Sera"), represented for the first time, with Eleonora Duse as Santuzza, with great success on January 14 at the teatro Carignano in Turin by Cesare Rossi. Ends with the publication of the first draft of "Loitering" and "tiny World", taken from sketches of the novel, the first stage of drafting the "Mastro-don Gesualdo" for which was already ready the contract with the Publisher. On May 16, 1885 "In drama, theatrical adaptation" concierge "the Canary" (a novella "the streets"), is greeted coldly at the teatro Manzoni in Milan. A psychological crisis exacerbated by the difficulty of carrying forward the "round of Losers" and above all personal and economic concerns of the family, which the assilleranno few years, touching the peak in the summer of 1889.
Confides his despair to Salvatore Paola Vegetables in a letter of January Thicken loan requests to friends, in particular to Mariano and Earl Benjamin Salluzzo Primoli. To unwind, he spends long periods in Rome and works at short stories published from 1884 onwards, correct and extends them to collect "Vagrancy", due out in the spring of 1887 at the Publisher Florence Barbera. In the same year released the French translation of "I Malavoglia", also without any success with critics or audiences.
After staying in Rome a few months earlier in the summer he returned to Sicily, where he remained (except for short trips to Rome in December 1888 and in late spring of 1889), until November 1890, alternating the Catania residence long stay in Vizzini. In spring leads to successful negotiations to publish "Mastro-don Gesualdo" in "Nuova Antologia" (but may break with Casanova, passing the House Treves). The novel comes out in installments in the magazine from July 1 to December 16, while Rod there working hard to rework or write from scratch the sixteen chapters. In November has already started the review.
However, continues the "exile" in Sicily, during which he devoted himself to the revision or, better, the remake of "Mastro-don Gesualdo" that, at the end of the year, will be released at Treves. Publish in the "literary Journal" and "Fanfulla della Domenica" novels that will gather later in "memories of Captain d'Arce" and declares several times to be on the verge of finishing a play. Meet, probably at Villa d'Este, the Countess Dina Carlin of Sordevolo which will remain linked for the rest of his life.
Heartened by the success of "Mastro-don Gesualdo" plans to continue for the "cycle" with the "Duchess of Satheesh" and "Mr Saeed". During this period, the case against Mascagni begins and the Publisher Sonzogno for the rights to the Opera version of "Cavalleria rusticana". In late October, however, travels to Germany to follow the performances of "Cavalry", which is still a masterpiece of music in Frankfurt to Berlin.
In 1893, following the transaction with Sonzogno, the cause for the rights to "Cavalry", already won by Verga in 1891 in the Court of appeal. The writer collects approximately 140,000 lire, finally overcoming the economic problems that had plagued him in the previous decade. Meanwhile, negotiations continue began in ' 91 (and that will end with a stalemate), Puccini for an Opera version of "she-Wolf" with libretto by Dana. He settled permanently in New York City where he remained until his death, except for short trips and stays in Milan and Rome. In 1894-1895, publishes the latest collection, "Don Caesar and c.", which includes written and published short stories in various magazines between 1889 and ' In ' 95 meet in Rome, together with Cameron, Emile Zola, leading exponent of French literature and literary current proponent of naturalism, a poetic very akin to that of Verismo (indeed, it can be said that the latter is the "version" that Italian).
In 1903 are entrusted to protect the children of Brother Pietro, who died the same year. Rod slows down more and more his literary activity and devoted himself assiduously to the care of their lands. Continues to work to "Duchess of Satheesh" which will be published posthumously just one chapter in care of Dana in 19Between 1912 and 1914 entrusts always De Roberto the screenplay of his works including "Cavalleria rusticana" and "La Lupa", while he himself spread out the reduction of the "Storia di una capinera", also make a thinking stage version. In 1919 the last novella writes: "a hut and your heart" which will be released posthumously as well in "Italian illustration", on February 12, 19In 1920 he published finally at "the voice" a revised edition of "Novelle rusticane". In October he was appointed Senator.
Suffering from cerebral palsy on January 24, 1922, died on July 27 in Catania in the House via Sant'Anna, Among the posthumous releases, in addition to the two mentioned, include the comedy "deciduous" Roses "masks", June 1928 and the sketch "the mystery", "scenery", March 1940.

Sources: Biografieonline.it